(2) PS Rabbit stands in the middle of her messy bedroom: "Uh-oh. This is a PROBLEM." In pops Porcupine Pete, "Your Problem-Solving Porcupine," who, in the tradition of many self-proclaimed helpers in children's literature, proceeds to escalate the problem exponentially. As ever, Thomas (The Chicken Who Couldn't, rev. 11/20) has her finger on the pulse of the storytime crowd. Pete tries to feed Rabbit's shirts to the goldfish, to flush toys down the toilet, and more. His "PROBLEM SOLVED!" refrain is as catchy as it is misleading, and kids will happily chant along. Rabbit begins to realize that she needs to get rid of Pete; she sees a newspaper report and tells him: "The scientists need a problem solver on Mars. They need you!" A coda reveals the Mars scientists' reaction to Pete (spoiler alert: not great). Thomas's digital illustrations are thick-lined, vibrant, and slick. This is a rollicking read-aloud, and with its straightforward language, repetitive vocabulary, and cyclical, predictable plot, it also serves the needs of beginning readers.­

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan. A young girl describes a beloved summertime­ tradition for her Armenian­ family. Guided by Bábo, or Grandmother,­ four children jump into action to "soak, soap, and wash" their treasured family rugs. The three siblings and a neighbor know exactly what to do: they gather their brushes, smother the rugs in bubbles and water, and brush the suds out before flipping the rugs over for a second cleaning. The kids and a dog twirl, slide, and dance together over the frothy surfaces. When at last the rugs are rinsed and drying, everyone goes inside for a special summertime treat. The text invites every sense to the experience: the sounds of the brushes ("bop-bop-bop"), the smell of the hot air ("like rose jam"), and the feeling of bubbles under toes ("so pleasant and just a little cold"). The digitally rendered illustrations are lively and full of specificity; occasional aerial views show the intricate details of the traditional handwoven rugs. A glossary provides translations and pronunciations of Artsakh Armenian words peppered through the text; the author's note and back matter provide more information about this story and the traditions behind it. A lovely reminder that fun can be found in the most seemingly mundane of tasks.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) K-3 This entertaining book opens with two young badgers, Tic and Tac, beset by boredom. They help hang the laundry for their mother and, when they run out of clothes, hang any random household object they can find. Featuring warm watercolors and attention to detail, Bagley's illustrations give readers plenty to pore over. This story injects a touch of the ridiculous into the mundane.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Mitchell. An old woman grumbles and complains about housework--and fairies appear to do it for her. At first it's wonderful, but as soon as they finish a chore, they undo it and start afresh--over and over. At last the village wise woman provides a solution, and the old woman never complains again. Understated and humorous watercolor illustrations accompany this amusing retelling.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Edward Koren. A girl gives hilariously bad advice on cleaning one's bedroom: e.g., "Always wait until your mother hollers, 'GET UP THERE AND CLEAN YOUR ROOM--NOW!' using all three of your names." Huget is uncommonly attuned to a kid's sensibility, and New Yorker cartoonist Koren's inimitable style--shaggy contour lines; beak-nosed, somewhat dowdy-looking characters--seems tailor-made for this mess-filled comic gem.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Untidy Wendel, quick to toss his less-than-perfect inventions down the garbage chute, creates an overzealous tidying-up robot that tosses Wendel onto the scrapheap. Reusing his castoff junk pile, Wendel constructs an army of robots to combat the crazy cleaner and learns the value of recycling (through the green message seems tacked on). Engaging and elaborate illustrations animate a host of kooky robots.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) PS Little Bartholomew bear wants to play, but George is busy with his housework. Ba waits patiently, and when George is finally done, Ba suggests they play "bringing in the laundry" and "sweeping the floor" before they head outside for a picnic. Ba behaves like the toddlers for whom the book is designed, and the large, clear illustrations convey the affection between adult and baby bear.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Bernadette Pons. Grandma Twilly doesn't feel like doing her spring cleaning, but the sound of a mouse in her messy house spurs her into action. After the house has been thoroughly cleaned, the intruder is still there, but Grandma Twilly rejoices anyway, because everything is spick-and-span. The text is repetitive, but the story, with its cheerful, energetic watercolor illustrations, will still inspire chuckles.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) K-3 In this good-humored tale about the folly of counting on someone else to do your work, Jamie O'Rourke, "the laziest man in all of Ireland," and his cronies have a grand time while his wife is away, but the house ends up a mess. When a pooka, or animal spirit, arrives and cleans the place from top to bottom, Jamie thinks his problems are over. DePaola's cozy, colorful illustrations are a good match for the lighthearted, rhythmic text.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2000

(3) K-3 When the baby cries, the wizard's wife says it's his turn to change the baby. So change the baby he does: he waves his wand, and "POOF!"--the baby becomes a cat. It's his wife's turn to feed the cat, but "POOF!"--she changes the cat into a dog. Sketchy drawings complement and extend the silly text, while the surprise ending is satisfying and perfect for this tale of changes.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley